It goes without saying that we love home cinema at What Hi-Fi?.
But sometimes the experience of going out to the cinema can't be beaten.
A huge screen, the shared experience and the feeling of anticipation as the lights go down – it's something that even the best home cinema set-ups can't match.
But what could be even better? How about the big-screen experience with just your nearest and dearest for company? And your own film selection to cap it off?
It may seem crazy, but there are in fact various ways to do it, and it need not cost the earth.
I'd personally like to rent out a big screen with a group of friends to properly experience Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, which unfortunately never got a cinema release and went straight onto Netflix.
So what options are out there? Allow me to explain.
A pint and a projector
Pubs don’t tend to shout about their screening room capacities, probably because their main business lies in selling food and drink.
But all across the country, there are pubs and small venues that house projectors or large TV screens ideal for a private movie night.
These prices can range massively depending on location and the size of the screen.
The venue hire marketplace Tagvenue estimates on its website that package deals are available from “anywhere between £5 and £200 per person."
However, you may be able to get a space for free, provided you spend enough behind the bar. It's certainly a great reason to get friendly with your local pub.
A step up
What about the real deal? When looking for a room with a bigger screen, renting out an independent cinema could be a possibility and needn't be prohibitively expensive for a special occasion.
We popped down to The Lexi Cinema in Kensal Rise, London to take a look at the options on offer.
They have two screening rooms, one with 30 seats and the other with 68.
Come before 4pm on a weekday and you will pay £190 per hour for the smaller room and £235 for the larger option. Not too bad if you bring a big enough group of people.
That price can jump to more than £1000 for a weekend evening, however.
I was able to have a look at both of the screens in The Lexi, and have got to say they are rather lovely.
There's a 7.1 Dolby surround speaker system in the biggest screen and 5.1 in the smaller, and you can play your own film from a variety of formats, including Blu-ray.
GRUB, an events and dining venue in Manchester, offers a cinema room called Cultplex.
Its cheapest option comes in at £250, but that gets you private access to its 100-seater cinema for a weekend matinee.
Sell the idea to enough of your friends and we think this is a pretty tempting proposition.
Multiplex of madness
You want the real thing? A full-size cinema? Of course, if you're willing to pay, it can be done.
Let’s take a look at Cineworld, for example. The price will vary depending on where you go but it can be as cheap as £120 if you go at 10am in Aldershot, to as much as £700 if you want a 5pm viewing in Brighton.
Cineworld too mainstream for you? The iconic Prince Charles Cinema in the West End of London offers private cinema screenings from £999.
It has two auditoriums available with 300 or 104 seats, and both can project film and digital.
Now, we're not suggesting you do this every week, but for the cinephile who has everything, it's certainly a great idea for a special occasion.
Or just because you really need to see that stop-motion masterpiece you missed...
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